THE DEATH OF THE MONARCHY
the executive functions of the now tottering Crown. In such
circumstances Charles's whole effort turned upon preserving
the title of King and what could be, for the moment, saved of
the royal power: it was a losing fight, a fight for a symbol
only at last, but he kept it up with the highest skill and in-
domitable tenacity. The method he used to achieve this end
was a perpetual playing of rivals one against the other. To
free himself partially from the control of his richer subjects he
would support the policy of the French King in Europe and
receive a subsidy in exchange. To prevent the French King
thus becoming his master he would next support Holland
against France. At home he would as far as possible counter-
balance the gentry of the National Church by favouring tolera-
tion for Dissenters, and for the dwindling but still very laige
Catholic minority. On the other hand, whenever there was a
strong demand for the prosecution of Dissenters or of Catholics
he would yield to it rather than risk his position. The whole
of his long reign of twenty-five years was spent in this sort of
skilful manoeuvring. In a sense he succeeded, for the tide of
King was preserved in England, and some of its power as well
was preserved also so long as Charles himself lived and for
four years more: but in reality he failed, for the monarchy
was past saving. It had received in the Great Rebellion a
wound which progressively weakened it, and when once Charles
had gone it suffered its deathblow. The governing class turned
the dynasty out, chose a nominal King of their own from abroad,
and became completely masters of the country.
The further general characteristics of the period are the
continued expansion of commerce and settlement beyond the
seas—Asiatic trade and American colonization; the strengthen-
ing of the English fleet, which had been created by the Stuarts
since Buckingham's time and was now made a great instrument
of war by the Admiral, Charles's brother, James, Duke of York.
It was also a period in which the splendour of the French
court and its military achievements under Charles's cousin
Louis XIV influenced all Europe, including England; it was
a period in which there was an appreciable movement on the
part of individuals, but not in great numbers, towards Catholi-
cism; and it was one in which there was a strong reaction
against the Puritan morals imposed by force during the years
of military despotism which had just passed. The court was